Standing on the beginning line on the 2024 Paris Olympics marathon as a member of Workforce USA is the second main accomplishment. The primary one comes roughly six months earlier than, when you must race to earn your spot.
On a scorching and humid morning in Orlando, Fiona O’Keeffe received the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:22:10. To name it a surprising debut marathon could be a large understatement. O’Keefe commanded the lead in a discipline of deeply-talented runners with a calm-yet-complete confidence, and received by over 30 seconds.
O’Keeffe, 25, is certainly not new to working. (She was a six-time All-American at Stanford College.) However she is new to the extraordinary highlight that Olympic success usually brings. Fortunately, the Workforce USA star excels at defending her peace.
“I’ve been with the PUMA Elite Working Workforce for the final month or so of my coaching buildup in Mammoth Lakes, California, which is one among my favourite locations on the earth,” O’Keeffe says. “It’s so calming and exquisite to only spend time outdoors right here—there are lovely alpine lakes and forests crammed with pines and aspens throughout us. I additionally discover it useful to have a pleasant group of teammates up right here, so I’m not consistently pondering of solely my very own preparations.”
The soft-spoken, under-the-radar racer caught up with us forward of her Olympic debut to share just a few wholesome habits that not solely preserve her stress in verify, however preserve her mentally and bodily on high of her recreation.
1. She is aware of how one can bounce again
Restoration is a big a part of her precise job, particularly throughout a marathon coaching block. So this isn’t a spot that O’Keeffe skimps on. In reality, she’s usually contemplating how one can maximize her restoration even whereas working.
“Coaching within the PUMA ForeverRun NITRO and Amplify NITRO 2 sneakers offers my legs a bit additional love after they’re feeling drained,” she says. “I additionally get common sports activities massages—not at all times a soothing expertise!—and use a foam curler and lacrosse ball to focus on tight spots most days.”
However the piece that makes the largest impression on how she ensures she’s being constructed up quite than crushed down by powerful coaching? Prioritizing bedtime.
“Sleep is big for me,” O’Keeffe says. “I at all times have a pair of earplugs and a bodily e book on my nightstand—I have to learn a bodily e book at evening to go to sleep.”
2. She finds time to unwind
When she’s not working, there’s an excellent likelihood you’ll discover O’Keeffe with a e book–normally a bodily copy–in hand.
“My style in books is a bit all over,” says the voracious reader. “I rotate between classics, enjoyable gentle reads, non-fiction, and memoirs. I just lately learn Emily Henry’s Seaside Learn in addition to Lindsey Vonn’s memoir, which was fairly inspirational. Presently, I’m working my means by means of Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls and a Paulo Coelho novel.”
She places her personal pen to paper, too.
“I do an excellent quantity of journaling,” provides O’Keeffe. “I’d describe it as fairly unstructured. Writing has at all times been a pleasant outlet.”
“Sleep is big for me. I at all times have a pair of earplugs and a bodily e book on my nightstand—I have to learn a bodily e book at evening to go to sleep.” —Fiona O’Keeffe
3. She outlets sensible
O’Keeffe could be very enthusiastic about environmental points, and tries to reside extra sustainably and devour extra consciously.
“I positively use a reusable water bottle day by day and at all times have it readily available to do my greatest to remain hydrated,” she says. “Nevertheless, I feel the largest means we will reside extra sustainably is to cut back our total consumption quite than specializing in particular merchandise. If there’s a selected fashionable merchandise on social media, I attempt to discern whether or not it will actually be one thing that holds up and that I’d use for a very long time. If not, I attempt to go on it.”
4. She retains it easy
O’Keeffe is a good reminder that not sweating the small stuff is an lively selection. Her favourite non-running accent for the time being? A pair of sun shades she picked up from the grocery retailer. “They only occurred to suit completely,” she stated. “You’d by no means guess!”
From how she retains her attractive locks wholesome (“My hair care routine could be very easy—the largest factor isn’t washing it too regularly and utilizing an excellent conditioner on it,” she says) to her pre-race packing record (“I pack in a small black PUMA curler bag—so long as I’ve my uniform, trainers, and a e book I’m good to go!”), O’Keeffe doesn’t waste vitality worrying about all of the little issues. And in consequence, she has extra vitality to care concerning the massive issues, like bringing her greatest 26.2 to the streets of Paris.
You may catch Fiona O’Keeffe competing within the girls’s marathon on August 11. NBCUniversal is the official U.S. broadcaster for the Paris 2024 Summer time Olympics, however you you too can watch O’Keeffe on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, USA Community, CNBC, and E!
